Night lamp with receptacle



June 5, 1956 A. M CARTHY 2,749,428

NIGHT LAMP WITH RECEPTACLEI Filed Sept. 20, 1954 FIG-1 F i t I69 I k IIN VEN TOR.

ANTHONY A. McCARTHY ATTORNEYS United States Patent M This inventionrelates to an electrical fixture, particularly a night-light adapted tobe mounted within a standard electrical receptacle box.

One of the greatest disadvantages of the ordinary type of night-lightnow in common use is that such a light,

when plugged into a wall receptacle, projects outwardly .from thesurface of the receptacle, and therefore outwardly of the wall, aconsiderable distance. These lights are commonly held in place only bythe two prongs received within the receptacle, and may be easilydislodged with resultant breakage of the light if it falls upon a hardsurface, especially since these lights are ordinarily made of relativelybrittle plastics which will not withstand the shock of such a fall.

Furthermore, the light may be easily removed and misplaced so that it isnot to be found when most needed. 'For example, if a housewifeordinarily keeps such a light in a childs room and removes it to use thereceptacle for other purposes, the light may be mislaid and thereforeunavailable late at night when it may become necessary to have a smalllight in the room.

The present invention provides a combination nightlight and receptaclewhich overcomes these disadvantages by a construction which is designedto replace the ordinary double receptacle and still provide a singlereceptacle outlet, together with a night-light which is enclosed withinthe receptacle box and therefore substan- Despite the semipermanentnature of the installation of the present invention, it is easy toremove and to service, and may be received within any standardelectrical receptacle box. It is therefore an object of this inventionto provide .a combination night-light and electrical receptacle whichmay be mounted within any standard receptacle box.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, the accompanying drawing and the appended claims.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the device provided ,bythis invention as it would appear in a normal installa- .tion;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the combination nightlight andreceptacle provided by this invention and shown removed from thereceptacle box;

Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of thedevice seen in Fig. 1;

.Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the bottom half of the unit seen inFig. 2;

* Referring to the drawing, which illustrates a'preferred embodiment ofthe invention, and specifically to Fig. 2,

there is seen a combination night-light and receptacle having a base 10with an upstanding boss 12 divided into a lower portion 13 integral withthe base and a complementary upper portion 14. The pair of parallel ribs15 depend from the bottom of base 10 and extend parallel to each otherentirely across the base, as seen in Fig. 5. The upper boss portion 14is fastened to lower boss portion 13 by a bolt 17 threaded at its upperend to upper boss portion 14 and terminating substantially flush withthe upper surface thereof. This bolt also has an internal bore 18 at itsupper end which is threaded to receive a short screw 20 (Fig. 1) forattaching a cover plate 22 over base 10.

A strap 25 having a generally U-shaped center portion 26 and outwardlyextending wing portions 27 each slotted at 28 embraces base 10 and boss12, with the wing portions extending outwardly away from the base andsubstantially parallel thereto. The base is of such proportions as to bereceived within any standard electrical receptacle box, for example asseen in Fig. 3 at 30 as including a pair of outwardly disposed wings 31extend ing at opposite sides of the open face of the receptacle box andreceiving connecting screws 32 which pass through slots 28 in the strapand support the base within box 30. Such receptacle boxes are commonlymounted within a recess in a wall, with their open face substantiallyflush with the wall to receive electrical receptacles and retain them insubstantially flush relationship to the wall.

Referring to Fig. 4, wherein the upper boss portion 14 is removed, thereis seen a threaded socket 35 which is received between a recess 36 inlower boss portion 13 and a complementary recess 37 (Fig. 6) in upperboss portion 14. Also recessed into lower boss portion 13 is a switch40, preferably of the single push button type having an upstandingoperating shaft 42 which projects through a hole 43 in the upper bossportion when the parts are assembled as in Fig. 2. At the bottom of base10, outwardly of ribs 15 and preferably below socket 35 and switch 40,are a pair of contacts including strips 45 and 46 which are molded intoor otherwise secured at one end to base 10 and each having a screw 47received therein for engaging the opposite wires of an electricalsupply. The rib portions 48 depend from the sides of the base outwardlyof strips 45 and 46 to provide protection against knocking the stripsloose from the base and for the ends of the electrical wires attached toscrews 47.

Switch and socket 35 are wired in series to strips and 46 by a connectorbar 50, which is preferably molded into base 10 and attached at one end'to one contact 51 of switch 40, and a second connector bar 52 likewisepreferably molded into the base and connected at one end to strip 46 andat the other end to the button 53 of socket 35. The other contact 54 ofthe switch is connected by a short wire 55 lying within a recess 56 inlower boss portion 13 to the outer or screw connection of the socket.

Socket 35 opens on the wall 60 of boss 12 facing the other end of base10, and a bulb 62 is received within the socket and thus held over theother end of the base beneath cover plate 22 because of the spaceraction of boss 12. Lighting of the bulb is controlled by switch 40.

At one corner of boss 12, as seen in Fig. 2, is an electrical receptacle65 having a face portion 66 raised somewhat above the surface of upperboss portion 14 and including a pair of spaced apertures 67 forreceiving the prongs of an electrical plug. Within apertures 67 arecontact strips 68 and 69 (Fig. 6) for engaging the ends of the plugprongs and connecting them to the electrical supply throughcontactstrips 45 and 46 respectively. In assembly, strip 68 rests upon bar 50and strip 69 rests upon a bar 70 which is in turn connected to bar 52,thus wiring receptacle 65 in parallel with socket 35 and switch 40. Thecompleted unit is thus wired for a controlled supply of electricity froma source 72 (Fig 7) and to socket 35 and a continuous supply toreceptacle 65.

Plate.22-is-provided with a first aperture 75 through whichthe. switch,controlshaft 42 projects in assembly, this being the only element on theunit which extends outwardly of the plate. A second aperture 76 receivesthe receptacle 65, with the upper face66 thereof in substantially fiushrelation with the outer surface of theplate, and the plate also includesa light transmitting portion 78, in the illustrated embodiment shown asanumber of longitudinal slits 79 through plate 22, in registry with baseand bulb 62. It will be readily appreciated, however, that any mannerof-light transmitting means such as transparent or translucent materialcould be utilized in place of these slits. As will be seen uponinspection of Fig. 1, the area of the light transmitting portion 78 isrelatively large in relation to the area of the cover-plate 22, andprovides for substantial illumination of the room immediatelysurrounding the plate 22.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an inexpensiveand easily manufactured night-light and receptacle unit which maybereceived within any standard receptacle box, and-which is whollycontained within the box with the exception of the switch control shaft42 which normally projects outwardly of the cover plate no more thanhalf an inch. In order to replace the bulb or remove the unit it isnecessary only to remove screw and plate 22 for access to the unit.While the switch may be of any convenient type it has been found mostpractical. to use the single push button type of switch rather than arotary shaft type since the former provides greater ease of operationand eliminates the necessity of actually grasping the control shaft tooperate the switch.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferredembodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited to this precise form-of apparatus, and that changes maybe made therein without departing from the scope of the invention whichis defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination night-light and receptacle unit for fiush mounting in astandard electrical receptacle box comprising a base having such outerdimensions as to be wholly received within the receptacle box, means forsupporting said base within the box,-a boss extending upwardly from oneend of said base and divided into complementary upper and lowerportions, .9. socket in said boss received between said upper and lowerportions thereof and opening on the side thereof facing the other end ofsaid base for receiving an electric light bulb and supporting said bulbwithin the box, a switch received within said lower boss portion andhaving an operating member extending through said upper boss portion andoutwardly thereof, contacts on said base for connection to an electricalsupply, said contacts being connected to said socket through said.switch to provide for lighting the bulb, said boss also including an.electrical receptacle having a face portion raised slightly above saidupper boss portion, said receptacle being wired to said contacts, aconnecting memberv extending through said boss and engaging both saidportions thereof to hold said boss portions together in operativerelationship, the upper end of said connecting member having a threadedbore therein and being substantially fiush with said upper boss portion,a plate covering said base and the surrounding receptacle box, and ascrew extending through said plate and engaging said bore to hold saidplate in position over the box, said plate having a light transmittingportion registering withsaid other end of said base, said plate alsohaving a first aperture forpassage ofsaid operating member outwardlythereof: and .a;second aperture receiving said receptacle faceportion'in substantially flush relationship with said plate.

2. In a combination night-light and receptacle unit adapted formountingin a standard electrical receptacle box having an open face andslotted Wings extending from opposite sides of the face the combinationwhich comprises a base having such outer dimensions as to be whollyreceived within the receptacle box, parallel ridges extending across thebottom of said base substantially centrally thereof, a strap having agenerally U-shaped central portion for embracing said base between saidridges, apertured wing portions .at opposite ends of said strap centerportion for registry with the wings on the box to support said basewithin the box substantially flush with the open face thereof, a bossextending upwardly from one end of said base and divided intocomplementary upper and lower portions, a socket in said boss receivedbetween said upper and lower portions thereof and opening on the sidethereof facing the other end of said base for receiving an electriclight bulb and supporting said bulb within the box, a switch receivedwithin said lower boss portion and having an operating member extendingthrough said upper boss portion and outwardly thereof, contactsonsaidvbase for connection to an electrical supply, said contacts beingconnected to said socket through said switch to provide for lighting thebulb, said boss also including an electrical receptacle having a faceportion raised slightly above said upper boss portion, said receptaclebeing Wired to said contacts, a bolt extending through said boss andthreadedly engaging said upper portion thereof to hold said bossportions together in operative relationship, the upper end of said bolthaving a threaded bore therein and being substantially flush with saidupper boss portion, a plate covering said base and.the surroundingreceptacle box, and a screw extending through said plate and engagingsaid here in said bolt tohold said plate in position over the box, saidplate having alight transmitting portion registering with said other endof said base,- and said plate also having a first aperturefor passageofsaid operating member outwardly thereof .and a second aperturereceiving said receptacle face portion in' substantially flushrelationship with said plate.

3. In an electrical device adapted to be received within a standardreceptacle box the combination of a base having such predetermined outerdimensions as to be received within a standard receptacle box andincluding a boss divided into complementary upper and lower portions, asoeket'in said boss opening on a side face thereof for receivinganelectric light bulb and supporting the bulb within the receptacle box,a strap for supporting said base within the box, means interconnectingsaid strap and said 'boss portions, a switch in said boss including anoperating member projecting from said upper portion thereof,

'a'pair of contacts on said base for connection to an electrical powersupply source, means connecting said contacts'to said-socket throughsaid switch to provide. for controlled lighting of the bulb, said bossalso including an electric plug receptacle having a face portion raisedabove said upper boss portion, means connecting said re- .ceptacle tosaid contacts, a plate for covering said base and the surroundingreceptacle box, said plate having a series of slits therein for registrywith the portion of the receptacle box adjacent said socket to transmitsubstantially all of the light from the bulb to the exterior of the box,said plate also having a first aperture therethrough forpassage of saidoperating member outwardly of said plate and a second aperturetherethrough for receiving said upstanding receptacle face portion insubstantially flush relationship with said plate, and means engageablewith saidwinterconnecting means for removably securing said plate tosaid base.

References Cited in the'file of this patent UNl TED STATES PATENTS1,101,376 Abbott June23, 1914 1,694,158 Both Dec. 4, 1928 2,189,676Pfohl Feb. 6, 1940 2,227,549 'McNeill Jan. 7. 1941

